Self extinguishing safety candle wicks and methods of manufacture of the wicks

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel self extinguishing safety candle wick that can be inserted into an axial vertical bore of a preformed solid fuel candle body or can be placed in a candle mold for casting of a solid fuel candle. The self extinguishing safety candle wick comprises a central support core having a plurality of combustion enabling wick portions fixed along the length of the core separated one from one another by interposed extinguishing gaps bridged by bare core portions. The invention also relates to methods of manufacture of the self extinguishing safety candle wick.

1. A method for making a self extinguishing safety candle wick from a pre-waxed small wire wick, said method comprising the following steps:
 a. providing a pre-waxed small wire wick having a top end and a base core clip at an opposite end, said small wire wick having a central support core throughout the length of said small wire wick, said central support core closely and radially surrounded by a tubular pre-waxed combustion enabling wick; 
 b. cutting off said base core clip immediately above said base core clip; 
 c. determining number of combustion enabling wick portions to form in the safety candle wick; 
 d. determining lengths for each combustion enabling wick portion; 
 e. determining a rough length for a bottom extinguishing gap; 
 f. determining number of interposed extinguishing gaps to form in said safety candle wick; 
 g. determining a uniform length for each said interposed extinguishing gap; 
 h. determining a uniform length for each bare core portion needed to form each said interposed extinguishing gap; 
 i. computing a length to remove from said tubular combustion enabling wick using the following equation: length to remove equals length for said bottom extinguishing gap G 1  plus number of interposed extinguishing gaps to form times uniform length for each said bare core portion to form each said interposed extinguishing gap; 
 j. removing said length to remove from said tubular combustion enabling wick from around said central support core starting from said upper end of said small wire wick and downward towards said opposite end; 
 k. determining locations along said small wire wick for annular cuts to form lengths for each said combustion enabling wick portion; 
 l. making an annular cut through said tubular combustion enabling wick in a plane generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the small wire wick at each of said locations determined in step k whereby a plurality of combustion enabling wick portions are formed; 
 m. separating and distributing said combustion enabling wick portions one from one another along said central support core with a bare core portion of said uniform length for each said bare core portion needed to form each said interposed extinguishing gap between successive combustion enabling wick portions and with a bare core portion at one end of said core equal in length to said rough length for said bottom extinguishing gap; and 
 n. selecting and using a fixing means to fix the combustion enabling wick portions along the central support core. 
 
   
   
     2. A method for making a self extinguishing safety candle wick according to  claim 1  wherein said fixing means comprises drops of adhesive with each said drop of adhesive adhering to a bare core portion of said core and fixing each said combustion enabling wick portion in a selected position along the length of said core. 
   
   
     3. A method for making a self extinguishing safety candle wick according to  claim 1  wherein said fixing means comprises a plurality of mechanically formed stops, deformations, bends, shoulders, hips, or flattened portions formed in bare core portions of said central support core that when formed restrict each said combustion enabling wick portion to a selected position along the length of said core.